Bland, Gaudiose, Armstrong selected to All-Ohio first teams

Boardman's Amber Bland was one of only two juniors named to the Division I first team. VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORTS COLUMBUS -- Boardman High's Amber Bland, Kristy Gaudiose of Poland and Ashley Armstrong of West Branch have been named to the 2002-03 Associated Press Division I and II girls All-Ohio basketball teams. Bland, a 5-foot-9 junior who averaged 28 points per game for the Spartans, was named to the Div. I first team. Bland and Marscilla Packer of Pickerington were the only juniors named to the 11-player first team. Gaudiose (5-6 senior) and Armstrong (5-7 junior) headline the Div. II first team. Last week, they shared Inland District player of the year honors. Gaudiose averaged 18.1 points per game to lead the Bulldogs, while Armstrong averaged 13 points per game for West Branch and broke several school records for assists. Quinlan third team Joining Bland on the Div. I team was Darcy Quinlan of Howland, a senior, who was named third team. Boardman's Brittany Durkin and Breezy Nelson of East Liverpool were named special mention, and Jen Hlebovy of Boardman, Jill Vertanen of Canfield and Sharina Freeman of Warren Harding were selected honorable mention. In Div. II, senior Katy Jo Mroski of Hubbard was named to the second team, and Aieshya Dixon of Cardinal Mooney, Alyson Cotter of Salem, Victoria Arndt of West Branch and Rachel McCoy of Beaver Local were named special mention. Named honorable mention were Taniesha Holland of Rayen School, Jessica White of Liberty, Jamie Duvall of Hubbard, Lauren Teal of Salem, Amber Metzgar of West Branch and Kara Gintert of Southeast. Two players headed for Duke and two others who will play at Ohio State were named players of the year. Three players shared the top individual award in Div. I -- Lancaster's Stephanie Blanton, Beavercreek's Alison Bales and Columbus Brookhaven's Brittany Hunter. Brandie Hoskins of Dayton Chaminade-Julienne took the honors in Div. II. Blanton is a 6-foot senior who averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2 steals and 1.5 blocked shots a game this season while shooting 62 percent from the field, 39 percent behind the arc and 69 percent at the line. She's signed to play at Ohio State. The 6-6 Bales, headed for Duke, provided 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.5 blocked shots and 4 assists a game. Also bound for Duke is Hunter, a 6-3 senior who averaged 23.4 points, 17.6 rebounds, 5 blocked shots and 2 steals a game while shooting 54 percent from the field. Also headed for Ohio State is Hoskins, a 5-10 senior who hit for 15.9 points and 6 rebounds a game. The Div. II coaches of the year were Springfield Shawnee's Mike Smart, who in his first year turned a 2-18 team into a 15-5 contender, and Lori Smith, who led Ottawa-Glandorf to a 19-1 record, a No. 2 ranking and its first Western Buckeye League title in more than a decade. Div. I's top coaches, based on the recommendations of a state media panel, were Steve Pfahler of state poll champion Toledo Central Catholic and Scott Zollinger, who led Lancaster to a No. 3 ranking.